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The “Man In The Mirror” production will hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at Harrah’s Cherokee.
In some of our Western NC Ingles stores you can find sorghum syrup from Harrell Farms in Bakersville, North Carolina. Many people who grew up in the South refer to this syrup as “molasses” and use it in baking instead of honey, maple syrup, molasses, corn syrup or sugar. Sorghum syrp can be spread on biscuits or toast or drizzled on pancakes or ice cream.
To the Editor:
I would like to request of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission that you stop referring to the hunting of bears as a “harvest” and call it what it is, the slaughter of these magnificent creatures.
David L. Snell
Franklin
To the Editor:
With recent news stories of elk doing damage to farms and the surprising number of bear living in Asheville, why, with millions of acres of national forest land, is wildlife not living in the woods? Over the past 20 to 30 years, wildlife has largely been forgotten in favor of tourism and environmental interests. Almost all timber harvests and controlled burns have been eliminated. Yes, the views are beautiful, but otherwise a wasteland for many species of wildlife.
Ideally, our forest would be managed to have everything from early successional habitat to old growth with maintained food plots scattered throughout the forest and at all elevations. If this was how our forests were managed, it would benefit everything — monarch butterflies, songbirds and all kinds of other wildlife.
Some environmental groups are now pushing for more and more of our forests to be placed in wilderness or national recreational areas where no land management for wildlife is allowed. Having lived beside the Shining Rock Wilderness all my life, I remember what it was like before it was placed into wilderness compared to what it is now — trails that have eroded waist- deep and parking lots that look like Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Do we really need more of that?
If we want to have large animals like elk and bear, we must change the way the forests are being managed now or these animals will become even more of a nuisance in the future due to lack of food sources in our national forests. We must educate the public that harvesting timber, using controlled burns, and planting food plots helps all wildlife. After all, I like wildlife in my views.
Mark B. Rogers
Canton
To the Editor:
I read your article on the hiring of a new town manager with some amusement and dismay. Amused at the idea of any professional wanting the job after the town’s lack of support for the previous manager and dismayed at the thought of time and cost of recruiting.
If you are going to let the employees run the show, then why bother with a manager? You cannot have your cake and eat it. Do we want to move ahead in Waynesville or do want to appease the “we’ve always done it this way” employees?
I would have thought it easier to replace the monkeys than the organ grinder. I hate to think of the money wasted ... again!
Leon Vinson
Waynesville
By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist
There are two major strains of conservatism in American politics, economic and social, and the former takes hideous advantage of the latter.
A case in point: North Carolina’s House Bill 2.
By Stephanie Wampler • Guest Columnist
As a North Carolina woman who may or may not have a vagina (NOYB), I have several concerns about our new law requiring transgender individuals to use bathrooms different than those of their gender identity.
First, I am concerned about basic respect and human dignity. Urination (such a formal word — how about peeing?) seems a somewhat private act, and any legislator or governor dictating where I can pee seems problematic.
By Julie Schroer • Guest Columnist
As April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I want you to hang in there with me and to think about child abuse. Or do I? It is two sides of the same coin.
The reality is that it is not a topic that most people want to think about. And if you have thought about child abuse, it may be because at some point child abuse has affected you, your family or maybe your friends. If you haven’t thought about child abuse, it’s possible that you have not been faced with knowing that a child you love has been hurt. So, given those options, I choose this: think about abuse now so that each day we as a community and nation just might see fewer kids and families forced to think about abuse.
A week of guided hikes and educational programs will celebrate all that’s great about hiking with Spring Hike Week April 17-21 at Fontana Village Resort. Here’s a look at what’s happening:
A crash course in outdoor photography will give shutterbugs an excuse to explore the Smokies’ beauty in a four-week program beginning April 19.
Those wanting to get a peek at the famous synchronous fireflies in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will have to enter a lottery this year for a chance at tickets.
A 6x12-foot interpretive art mural showcasing the cultural heritage of the “Shindig on the Green” at Pack Square Park will be added to the Western North Carolina Mountain Heritage Mural Trail with an unveiling ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 21, at Pack’s Tavern adjacent to the park in downtown Asheville.
The Tuscola High School Summit Choir will present the 34th annual Country Western Show at 7 p.m. April 15-16 and 2:30 p.m. April 17 at the Tuscola High School Auditorium in Waynesville.
Western Carolina University’s 14th annual jazz festival will feature an afternoon and evening of music, special guests and celebration from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 23, in the recital hall of the Coulter Building.
Drawing thousands of visitors each year, the 19th annual Greening Up The Mountains Spring Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 23, in downtown Sylva.
The daylong event is a celebration of renewal, of revitalization, and a time of reconnecting with friends, relatives and neighbors. Browse the more than 190 vendors, representing arts, crafts, demonstrators, culinary delights, local schools, business, community, environmental, health, safety, children’s activities, and more.
To the Editor:
I won’t be voting for Michele Presnell, but it seems silly for this newspaper and local elected officials to blame her for the failure of local initiatives like the proposed room tax increase, school funding issues that influenced the closing of Central Elementary and the failure of the proposed Lake Junaluska/Waynesville merger to get on the ballot. Maybe part of the problem is we’re not doing enough to engage our citizens in information exchange or dialogue.
Back in 1954, when I was a freshman at Western Carolina Teachers College (now WCU), the college’s drama department launched a production of The Crucible by Arthur Miller.
By Jim Parham • Contributing writer
People have all kinds of preconceived notions of what it’s like to write a trail guidebook. How many times have I heard, “That must be really cool, you just get to go out and ride your bike or hike all day!” Yes, that is what I do all day — sometimes.
The outdoors have been a powerful force in the lives of Jim Parham and MaryEllen Hammond.
The Nantahala River was what first drew them in, Hammond in 1978 for a job with Nantahala Outdoor Center and Parham later, in 1990, when NOC bought the rafting company he’d been working for previously.
Bug-loving photographers will get the inside scoop on photographing insects through a presentation from Kefyn Catley, a biology professor at Western Carolina University, at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at the Cullowhee Methodist Church.
In the past five years, the 10 land trusts of Western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Forever coalition have collectively completed 280 new conservation projects, protecting more than 31,000 acres and surpassing their 30,000-acre, five-year goal.
The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) recently solidified partnerships with Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) and The Strand at 38 Main in Waynesville to show work in the lobby of each facility.
Western Carolina University has a new free outreach program called WCU Road Works that will present theatrical, music, film and visual arts events to organizations and communities throughout the region.
Artist John Kenneth Melvin will break ground on a new site-specific sculpture at the entrance of The Bascom art center’s campus on Friday, April 15, in Highlands.
After long awaited anticipation Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR) is excited to announce that the historic #1702 Steam Engine will return for the 2016 excursion season.
Going to the Mother Earth News (MEN) Fair – April 9th &10th at the NC Ag Center? Stop by the Ingles booths (2421 and 2422) to meet some of our local farmers and vendors, and sample! www.motherearthnewsfair.com
Spring is here, and facilities closed for the winter are opening up accordingly in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Clingmans Dome Visitor Information Center will open April 1.
• Round Bottom/Straight Fork Road will open April 1.
• The backcountry office at Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with reservations also available online at www.smokiespermits.nps.gov or 865.436.1297.
• Cataloochee Campground will open March 25; Big Creek and Deep Creek campgrounds will open April 8; and Balsam Mountain Campground will open May 27. Smokemont Campground is open year-round.
• LeConte Lodge, accessible by trail only, opened March 21.
• Cataloochee Horse Camp will open March 25, Round Bottom Horse Camp will open April 1 and Big Creek Horse Camp will open April 8.
Blue Ridge Parkway sets opening schedule
Facilities and visitor services along the Blue Ridge Parkway will soon be opening for 2016, a year that marks the 100th anniversary for the National Park Service.
• Pisgah Inn and Restaurant will open April 1.
• Mount Pisgah Picnic Area will open April 15.
• Waterrock Knob Visitor Center will open April 29.
• Mount Pisgah Campground will open May 6.
• The Folk Art Center and Asheville Visitor Center are open year-round.
Some sections of the southern end of the Parkway are still closed due to winter weather. For real-time updates on Parkway closures, visit www.nps.gov/maps/blri/road-closures.
Clingmans Dome Road opens early
The road to the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened a tad early this year due to last week’s warm weather.
Clingmans Dome Road opened Saturday, March 26, a few days ahead of its usual March 31 opening. The 7-mile road typically closes Dec. 1 of each year.
At 6,643 feet, the dome is the park’s highest point and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi, offering a 360-degree view at the top.
Current road closure information is posted at @SmokiesRoadsNPS on Twitter.
A proposed rule change allowing hunters to bait black bears with unprocessed food throughout the entire hunting season will be the focus of a public hearing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, at the Haywood Community College auditorium in Clyde.
Cataloochee Ski Area is a finalist for the I AM a Snowmaker Award, given annually by SAM Magazine and HKD Snowmakers — but it needs votes from the public to win.
Spring ranger programs have begun in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, giving visitors a chance to explore the Smokies with help from the park rangers.
A slate of challenging long-distance races will be coming to the Smokies this spring, meaning it’s time to get back on that training regimen and sign up to run.
Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters throughout Western North Carolina will open at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 2.
This Easter marked an important milestone for Jerry Parker, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker who completed the 2,160-mile trail before it was cool.
By Dave Waldrop • Guest Columnist
The North Carolina legislature has abandoned its responsibilities to public education under the guise of school choice. The state Supreme Court has ruled once that the legislature’s ill-conceived voucher program is unconstitutional. Unfortunately that ruling was reversed on appeal.
By Chris Cooper • Guest Columnist
If I had to use one word to describe the North Carolina primary, it would be predictable. Boring, even. The very same pollsters who blew the Michigan Democratic primary hit the nail on the head in North Carolina. It’s almost impossible to find a pollster who did not predict that the top of the ticket would feature wins by Trump, Clinton, Burr, Ross, McCrory and Cooper. Even the turnout was, well, average for a presidential year (virtually identical to statewide voter turnout in 2008 and 2012).
There will be Catamount paw prints on the next edition of a calendar highlighting North Carolina’s African-American heritage as Western Carolina University joins The Heritage Calendar project.
From the beginning Cullowhee Mountain Arts (CMA) has been committed to hosting high-quality workshops taught by instructors with national and international reputations.
Whether you enjoy sipping a smooth golden ale, something hoppy or a dark IPA, Jackson County’s craft breweries have you covered for NC Beer Month this April.
Stomach bugs, possibly norovirus, have been reported among Appalachian Trail thru-hikers in Georgia and the Great Smoky Mountains this season.
Saturday dawned chilly and foggy at Pinnacle Park in Sylva, but that didn’t stop 73 people from completing the strenuous Assault on BlackRock, an annual race that covers 7 miles and more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
Friends of the Smokies has a new North Carolina director after Anna Lee Zanetti took the reins this week.
Every year, trail towns and businesses in Western North Carolina anticipate the influx of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers that stream through the area between late March and late April. Take a look at what’s planned to celebrate this year’s crop of thru-hikers.
By Brent Martin • Guest Columnist
Setting aside a modest portion of the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forest as Wilderness and National Recreation Areas (NRAs) would deliver huge benefits for a wide variety of user groups and for our local economy. So it is baffling to witness county after county in western North Carolina passing resolutions opposing the idea.
To the editor:
I wonder:
• Why do people in the so-called “Bible belt” seem to trust guns more than God?
• Why does the “right to life” that protects babies in the womb disappear when these babies enter a classroom?
• Why does my freedom to carry a gun “trump” my brother’s freedom from the fear of gun violence?
• When did the playground ethic I learned as a child — that I had the right to swing my fist freely around in the air so long as it did not collide with another person’s nose — get “trumped” by the Second Amendment?
• Why were the citizens of Australia — where church attendance is among the lowest in the world — able to pass a National Firearms Agreement that banned the importation, sale and possession of automatic rifles, shotguns, and handguns, and to enact a compulsory gun buy-back scheme, while last year alone, here in the U.S. — where church attendance is high — mass shootings occurred 372 times, killing 475 and wounding 1,870?
• Why do “Bible-believing” churches put up signs, “Guns Welcome Here” and have pastors who carry guns into the pulpit, seemingly rejecting admonitions like “they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Mt.26:52); “the war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save” (Ps .33:17); and “thou shalt not kill” (Ex.20::13)?
• Why are politicians who preach hate and fear able to amass a following among people who believe in a Bible that proclaims: “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear” (1Jn.4:18) and “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind” (2 Tim.1:7)? Will wonders never cease?
Doug Wingeier,
Waynesville
In the spirit of celebrating Sunshine Week, the Macon County Commissioners announced a decision to support and encourage transparency and open government.
Jamie Lynn Swartz, 36, formerly of Sylva, will serve 70 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on drug conspiracy charges.
Now that the North Carolina Department of Insurance issued the Canton Fire Department a Class 4 rating this week, Canton homeowners should see a little savings on their fire insurance premiums.
An interesting anomaly played out in the mountains in the Presidential primary last week.
The sticky wicket of food trucks and food carts have taken center stage in Waynesville, with a public debate in full swing on where food trucks should be allowed to set up shop and for how long.
If you have ever wondered what those giant, colorful blocks are on the sides of buildings and other structures throughout Haywood County, now is the perfect time to learn.
